Editing Didier Drogba (section)

== Early life ==
Drogba is a member of the [[Bété people]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kobo |first1=Kingsley |title=Didier Drogba named as reconciliator in Cote D'Ivoire |url=https://www.goal.com/en/news/89/africa/2011/09/05/2652154/didier-drogba-named-as-reconciliator-in-cote-divoire |access-date=27 September 2020 |publisher=goal.com |archive-date=25 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111025020003/http://www.goal.com/en/news/89/africa/2011/09/05/2652154/didier-drogba-named-as-reconciliator-in-cote-divoire |url-status=live}}</ref> He was born in [[Abidjan]], Ivory Coast, and at age five was sent to [[France]] by his parents to live with his uncle, [[Michel Goba]], a professional footballer. However, Drogba became homesick and returned to Abidjan after three years.<ref name="OSM" /> His mother nicknamed him "Tito", after president [[Josip Broz Tito]] of Yugoslavia, whom she admired greatly.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chelsea.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=516298 |title=Whose My Tito? |publisher=vitalfootball.co.uk|access-date=10 October 2009|archive-date=18 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318195135/http://www.chelsea.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=516298|url-status=dead}}</ref> He played football every day in a car park in the city, but his return to the Ivory Coast was short lived. Both of his parents lost their jobs and he again returned to live with his uncle.<ref name="OSM">{{cite news |title=I love England. If only my son wouldn't wear an Arsenal shirt |url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,2002932,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071208164721/http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0%2C%2C2002932%2C00.html |archive-date=8 December 2007 |work=Observer Sport Monthly |date=4 February 2007 |access-date=15 December 2007 |location=London |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1991, his parents also travelled to France, first to [[Vannes]] and then in 1993 settling in [[Antony, Hauts-de-Seine|Antony]] in the Paris suburbs, at which point the 15-year-old Drogba returned to live with them and his siblings.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.didierdrogba.com/en/biographie/enfance.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206073801/http://www.didierdrogba.com/en/biographie/enfance.asp |archive-date=6 December 2008 |title=Biography: My childhood |publisher=didierdrogba.com|access-date=27 July 2008}}</ref> It was here he began playing team football more frequently, joining a local youth side. Drogba then joined the semi-professional club [[Levallois SC|Levallois]], gaining a reputation as a prolific scorer in the youth team and impressing the coach with his professional attitude. His performances earned him a place in the senior squad but despite scoring in his debut, the 18-year-old Ivorian failed to make an impression on Jacques Loncar, the first-team coach.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201005310451.html |title=Didier Yves Drogba Tébily | access-date=24 April 2016 | archive-date=7 October 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101007085717/https://allafrica.com/stories/201005310451.html | url-status=live}}</ref>